The Hidden Extra: The Lazy Prince Refuses to Ascend The Throne Chapter 971 Teasing Rafine

"Hey, are you alone?"

Nolan fell silent when he saw the woman—Rafine Austin.

The smile on her face left him dazed. In the past, he had always ignored Rafine and paid no attention to her feelings.

But now, after she had forgotten him, he actually felt a pang in his chest.

Suppressing his emotions, he smiled and replied jokingly, "Of course. But I didn't expect Young Lady Rafine to come talk to me. I have to admit, that's a little surprising."

Rafine was surprised. She took a glass of wine from a passing server and asked curiously, "How do you know my name?"

Nolan took a sip of his wine.

"Who doesn't know Young Lady Rafine, the eldest daughter of the Austin family? Your name is known throughout the empire. You're said to be the most beautiful woman in the empire. And after seeing you in person…"

He looked her up and down before clicking his tongue.

"It seems the rumors are true. You really are… incredibly beautiful."

Rafine's face flushed at his words. If it had been anyone else, she might have slapped him right then and there, just as she had done to young nobles in the past.

But strangely, she couldn't bring herself to do it.

What's going on?

She pressed a hand against her rapidly pounding chest.

She had no idea why she wasn't offended. Instead, she was actually pleased to hear him say that.

Am I just sleep-deprived?

That explanation made no sense at all. She was sure she'd slept soundly last night.

Nolan simply smiled at her dazed expression.

"So that's it…"

He had just conducted a test. Just because everyone had forgotten him didn't mean their feelings for him had disappeared.

He had realized this when he met Ayakami earlier. Her kindness toward him had been completely out of the ordinary.

After all, he was a stranger, so she should've been wary of him. But somehow, she wasn't. She had helped him without expecting anything in return.

The same went for Orlan. Even though he could see a person's true nature, their friendship still played a big part in how he saw Nolan.

And now, there was Rafine.

Nolan realized that Rafine liked him. His earlier compliment had merely been a test, and her reaction had fully confirmed his suspicions.

At least the gods haven't erased their feelings, he muttered, letting out a long sigh.

He couldn't imagine the people he cared about not only forgetting him from their memories but also losing their feelings for him.

Even if Nolan's heart were as hard as stone, he wouldn't be able to bear it.

Regaining his composure, he took another sip of wine and asked, "So, why did you come to see me, Young Lady Rafine? You weren't drawn to my good looks, were you?"

Rafine snapped out of her reverie. Her already flushed face turned an even deeper shade of red.

"You're such a narcissist!" she grumbled.

She snorted.

"Don't get the wrong idea. I just came to ask you something. Are you the one who helped Marquis Orlan deal with the drought in the cities of Valmiris and Lunaris?"

Nolan didn't answer right away. He twirled his glass as he stared at Rafine.

Feeling his gaze on her, Rafine felt her face grow warm.

"W-Why aren't you saying anything?" she protested.

Nolan laughed softly.

"Sorry, I just can't take my eyes off your face. Seriously, you're really beautiful."

Thump!

Rafine's heart pounded. Her breath came in short gasps, as if steam were about to shoot out of her head.

"Y-You… You…"

She pointed at him, wanting to scold him, but once again, she couldn't bring herself to do it.

What on earth is happening to me? Why can't I get mad at him?

Frustration began to gnaw at her. She had no idea what was wrong with her.

This man kept teasing her, and she should have scolded him. It was strange, but for some reason, she just couldn't do it.

Realizing he had gone too far, Nolan turned and walked away.

"If you want to know, follow me to the balcony. Talking about this here makes me uncomfortable."

Rafine pursed her lips.

"Are you coming or not?"

Watching his back slowly disappear into the distance, Rafine stomped her right foot and hurried after him.

***

"How are you, Alicia? Have you been studying hard?"

Elina pinched Alicia's chubby cheek.

"I've been studying really hard, Sister Elina!" Alicia replied proudly.

"Oh? What happened? Did you suddenly get motivated to study?" Elina asked curiously.

She remembered how Orlan often complained to her about how lazy Alicia was when it came to studying.

Actually, it wasn't entirely Alicia's fault. They just hadn't been able to find a tutor who was good enough—or a good fit for someone as talented as Alicia.

"Mhm! Brother Nolan is helping me study. He's so smart! He's a total genius!" Alicia said excitedly.

"Brother Nolan?"

Hearing the unfamiliar yet strangely familiar name, Elina furrowed her brow.

"Nolan is the person I mentioned in my letter, Your Highness," Orlan explained from beside her.

"Huh? Is he the person who helped you solve that drought problem?" Elina asked in surprise.

"That's right."

Orlan nodded with a smile.

"I happened to run into him while I was hanging out at one of my favorite taverns. Turns out, he's a fan of Edward Layar's works, and we…"

He went on to tell her what happened, clearly excited as he recounted the story.

Elina sipped her wine, completely caught up in his story.

A moment later, Orlan finished his story, and Elina finally understood the ins and outs of this man named Nolan.

"May I meet him later? I'd really like to meet him," Elina said, barely hiding her excitement.

Orlan chuckled softly.

"Of course, Your Highness. Once the party's over, I'll bring him to you."

Elina smiled sweetly.

"Thank you!"

***

On the balcony, Nolan leaned against the railing while Rafine stood beside him with a frown.

"Tell me, how do you use groundwater to irrigate the farmers' rice fields and plantations?"

It was something that had been piquing her curiosity for the past few days.

As far as she knew, there was no technology capable of doing something like that yet. Not even Blue Moon, which was renowned for its innovations, had anything like it.

Nolan turned toward her with a smile.

"What's in it for me if I tell you?"

Rafine's scowl froze.

"W-What do you mean?"

Nolan rolled his eyes.

"You're an educated woman. You should know what a patent is, right?"

Rafine was stunned. Patents were a new regulation introduced by the imperial court about five years ago.

As such, the regulation was universal and had been adopted by all four major regions.

The reason for its enactment, of course, was related to the Blue Moon Trading House.

They had created many innovations and asked the empire to guarantee the protection of their patents.

Since these innovations were beneficial to society, the imperial court naturally approved their request.

She hadn't expected Nolan to bring up patents with her.

After all, she only wanted to know how the system worked. It wasn't like she was trying to steal anything.

But her curiosity had reached its limit. Gritting her teeth, she asked irritably, "So, what do you want in return?"

She had already imagined what Nolan might ask for. Maybe money, wealth, or perhaps something even more valuable.

But his answer left her completely speechless.

"I want to go on a date with you."

Rafine: "…"